1 Samuel 10:2-42When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? 3Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 4And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. (1 Samuel 10:2‑4)
Let us consider something of the meaning of all these signs which Samuel told Saul, for just as they should have spoken to Saul, so they have needful lessons for us today. May they not pass unheeded, for if they do, it will be to our own loss, as it was to Saul’s.
Often the Lord brings some circumstance or circumstances into our lives which we should take as a voice from Him. Such things, if heeded, would turn the whole course of our lives for His glory and for our own blessing, but alas, we do not have the spiritual eyes to see it. We are too occupied with ourselves, too impatient to wait upon the Lord, and we fail to see His good hand which ever seeks the blessing of His own. Oh, how often while blaming others, we ourselves are the hindrance to our own blessing! Let us consider then, what happened to Saul here.
When Saul came to Rachel’s sepulcher two men met him, as Samuel had said, telling him that the asses he had been seeking were found, and that now his father was sorrowing for him, saying, “What shall I do for my son?” Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin, and it was at the birth of Benjamin that Rachel had died. Here was Saul by her sepulcher. She had called him Ben-oni which means “The son of my sorrow,” but his father, Jacob, had changed his name to Benjamin which means “The son of my right hand.” Faith on Jacob’s part could look beyond the sad circumstances connected with Benjamin’s birth, and see what the grace of God could and would do for him. This ought to have spoken to Saul, a Benjamite, for though his father was sorrowing for him, God was able to come in and use him for the blessing and deliverance of His people from the Philistines, if he were but willing. As we, too, look back upon what we were by nature, dead in sins, what sorrow it gives us, but how wonderful is the grace of God that has picked us up and set us among princes and made us inherit the throne of glory. (1 Sam. 2:88He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them. (1 Samuel 2:8).) Are we living in the good of this? We were once so stubborn and rebellious, like Saul’s asses, but we have been redeemed and brought to God.
After this, at the plain of Tabor, Saul met three men going up to God to Bethel. One was carrying three kids, another three loaves of bread, and another a bottle of wine. Even though Israel were in such a bad state, there were those who sought the Lord and went up to Him. It reminds one of the sad state of things in the professing Church today, but, thank God, there are still those who seek the Lord’s face and worship in His appointed way. There may be only a few, as there were only three men here going up to God to worship, but God takes notice of it. His Word says, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20). These men saluted Saul, the one whom God had marked out as king, for faith always recognizes all that is of God, even though it may be spoiled in the hands of man. Saul could share in this blessing too, for he received bread at their hands, but as we follow his sad life we see there was no real work of God with him. He always seemed to be more occupied with his position before the people than with the Lord. Each sign given was a little more plain than the one before, but unbelief is always blind.
ML 06/20/1954